Carpet-stretcher



' v PATENTED JAN. 5, 1904.

T. J. & Z. T. SHEETS. CARPET STRBTGHER.

PPPPPPPPPPPPPP 2110011. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented January 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J SHEETS AND ZAOHARY T. SHEETS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CARPET-STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,664, dated January 5, 1904.

' Application filed October 1, 1902.1Seriallio. 125,5 56. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, THOMAS J. SHEETS and ZACHARY T. SHEETS, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in carpet-stretchers.

The object of. the present invention is to improve the construction of carpet-stretchers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and officient device of great strength and durability adapted to be readily engaged with a carpet and capable of enabling the same to be quickly stretched and securelyheld while thecarpet is being fastened to the floor.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a carpet-stretcher constructed in accordance with this invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views of the same. Fig. e is a longitudinal sectional view of one end of the carpet-stretcher. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the heads of the bars or members of the carpet-stretcher. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the outer end of one of the bars or members.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawlugs. v g

l and 2 designate two bars or members having overlapping inner ends and provided at their outer ends with heads 3, arranged at right angles to the bars or members and extending laterally from opposite sides of the same and provided at intervals with spurs or.

projections 4 for engaging the carpet to be stretched. Each head 3 is provided at its center with opposite recesses 5 and 6 and the outer end'of the bar or member is provided with a notch or recess 7 to receive the reduced portion of the head formed by the recesses 5 and 6 thereof. The recess 5, which is longer than the recess 6, has its inner face arranged in a plane parallel with that of the head,- and the bottom of the other recess, 7, is beveled and arranged at an angle to the plane of the head. I One side of the recessed portion of the outer end of the bar or memberextends beyond the other to conform to the configuration of the reduced portion of the head. The bar or member is also provided at opposite sides of its outer portion with triangular blocks 9, forming shoulders which abut against the adjacent edges of the head. The head is secured to the bar or member by means of a hook l0 and an eye 11; but any other suitable fastening device may be employed for this purpose. The hook and eye permit the head to be readily detached for enabling the parts to be compactly arranged when not in use.

The bar or member 1 is provided at its inner end with a transverse perforation for the reception of an oblong loop or link 12, which receives the other bar or member 2 and is adapted to engage grooves 12 of the same. The bar ormember 2 is provided at its upper face with grooves 12, arranged at intervals and adapted to permit the linkto be secured to the bar or member 2 at difierentpoints on the same. The bar or member 2 also receives a loop 13 of rectangular form provided at one side withahead 14 and having an eye 15 at the opposite side to receive one end of a cord 16 or other suitable flexible connection. The head 14 is spaced from the body portion of the loop 13, at one side thereof, and is connected with the same by a narrow neck, and the flexible connection is adapted to be wrapped around the head.

The carpet-stretcher is operated by engaging its heads with the carpet a short distance from the wall, and the inner ends of the bars or members, which are overlapped at the central portion of the carpet, are raised a few feet above the same and are then forced downward to move the heads outward to stretch the carpet. After the carpet has been stretched the parts of the stretcher are held by means of the flexible connection, which passes around the lower face of the bar. or member 1 and is secured to the head of the loop. By this construction and arrangement the operator is enabled to stand at the center of the room, so that his own weight does not retard or resist the stretching of a carpet.

The carpet-stretcher is readily disengaged from the carpet at one point and may be ICO quickly arranged for stretching another portion of the carpet.

It will be seen that the carpet-stretcher is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is readily operative, and that it may be quickly adjusted to position it properly with relation to the carpet to be stretched. It will also be seen that the parts may be readily separated to enable the carpet-stretcher to be compactly arranged when not in use.

What is claimed is- 1. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination with a pair of members adj ustably overlapped at theirinner ends and provided at their outer ends with carpet-engaging devices, of means for adjustably connecting the members, and means for securing the members in their adjusted positions, said securing means comprising a loop adjustably mounted upon one of the members and provided with a head, and a flexible connection carried by the loop and adapted to embrace the other member and be engaged with the head.

2. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination with a stretcher member provided at its end with a reduced tapered recess, of a head provided with opposite notches forming a reduced tapered portion to engage the tapered recess, devices for detachably connecting the head and member,and carpet-engaging means associated with the head.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. SHEETS. ZAOHARY T. SHEETS.

Witnesses: O. T. WARNER, T. J. BOYD. 

